


Pride, Prejudice, and Plenty of Sex

by grahamhannah53



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Drug-Induced Sex, M/M, Making Up, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Rejection, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:54:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22145236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grahamhannah53/pseuds/grahamhannah53
Summary: Kakashi and Iruka are mates... sort of.Well, they are, but Kakashi's initial rejection of the mating bond years before their adulthood has (understandably) caused some tension between them. That is to say, Iruka hates Kakashi just as much as the universe wants them to fall in love, but they've both learned to cope well enough to get by.Even so, when Iruka is attacked in the field and goes into heat, all that changes. He and Kakashi are faced with a choice-- have sex, or let Iruka die from hestsickness.And if they learn to fall together instead of apart, well, that'd just be fate for you.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 36
Kudos: 391





	1. Prologue: The Last Man Iruka Could Be Prevailed Upon To Marry

**Author's Note:**

> here goes.... happy reading!!

It had been one hell of a day at the missions desk up until about four o'clock. From terribly filled-out forms that bordered on ridiculous to grumpy, dissatisfied clients (and one mental breakdown on the part of one unfortunate shinobi who had the pleasure of a visit through T&I with Ibiki before she could turn in her report), it had been seemingly one thing right after another. Even so, the last hour of Iruka's shift was graveyard quiet and seemed to drag out for an eternity. Eventually, just before the point of using toothpicks to prop their eyelids open, the bored desk workers decided that they would do what anyone else would have half an hour ago. 

They came up with a way to occupy the time.

There were many options to choose from— they  _ could _ sit there and gossip like normal people, but they were shinobi, which meant that they were a bit too eccentric for such normal thing to occupy them for long. Of course, they could also have started bets like most of their jonin counterparts had a habit of doing, but unfortunately, the mission room chūnin lacked the jonin-level funds that were necessary for such a hobby. So, in the end, they were forced to choose from party games like Never Have I Ever and Truth or Dare— but of course, they settled for the usual, an old favorite and almost a tradition at the desk. 

A game called Fuck, Marry, Kill— or as Izumo had lovingly termed it, Bed, Wed, Behead.

Really, it was all in fun. None of them really took their answers seriously (especially not with the members of  _ this _ shift), and often gave stupid answers for just the hell of it… but as usual, things took a downward turn for Iruka almost as fast as a body-flicker jutsu.

Naturally, it was Anko's turn when it happened. She was the only non-alpha in the room besides Iruka, and yet she could make just as much trouble as one in half the time. 

Turning, she addressed Iruka directly with a reptilian grin. 

"So, Iruka, out of the three most eligible jonin in Konoha— Maito Gai, Shiranui Genma, and Hatake Kakashi— who are you bedding, wedding, and beheading?"

Obviously, she hadn't known. How could she have? The only people still living that knew were Kotetsu and Izumo, and they were as taut as bow strings as soon as  _ that name _ had escaped Anko's big fat mouth. However, as Iruka was never one to be deterred from a good time (and was quite unwilling to reveal his secret), he slapped on a brilliant smile and answered honestly. 

"I would definitely marry Gai, fuck Kakashi, and kill Genma," he replied confidently, inwardly praising himself for not stuttering even a little when he said  _ that  _ name. 

"Poor Genma," laughed Izumo, who leaned into his mate Kotetsu's side. "Although, I guess I can see why. Gen really is awful sometimes."

It was true. Jonin in general were considered to be awful by literally everyone who  _ wasn't  _ a jonin, but Genma was also a terrible flirt (even for an alpha) and a worse gossip. Even so, Kotetsu made a face at Iruka's choice.

"Killing Genma I get, but marrying Gai? Come on, 'Ruka, how can you justify that?"

Iruka laughed, but didn't back down. "Because he's so sweet! You  _ know  _ he'd be romantic every chance he got. I'd be showered in chocolates, flowers, and poetry."

"Oh come on, I call bullshit," Anko scoffed, plopping a boot up on the desk. "I know you like the brooding, dark, and mysterious types—  _ and  _ the silver hair. If it came right down to it, you'd marry Hatake Kakashi in a split second or I'll eat my foot."

As luck would have it, Hatake Kakashi himself walked through the door just in time to hear that statement, and as he and Iruka locked eyes, Iruka knew exactly what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. 

"You're wrong, Anko-chan," he said, never breaking eye contact with his mate— the one who had rejected him. "Hatake Kakashi is the last man in the world I could be prevailed upon to marry."

Iruka knew Kakashi heard him, because he watched something resembling hurt flicker in Kakashi's one visible eye, but the copy-nin made no reply to the statement. Instead, he simply handed his (now crumpled) report to a controlled, neutral Izumo, turned on his heel, and left without a word. 

After a few moments of tense silence, Anko chewed the inside of her cheek in thought, then spoke slowly, gingerly, as though she could even begin to understand the gravity of what had just taken place.

"I feel like I'm missing something," she said, looking from Iruka to Kotetsu to Izumo, waiting for them to explain. 

"You are," Kotetsu provided, intentionally unhelpful.

Miffed, the beta crossed her arms. "So no one is going to tell me?"

Izumo shrugged. "Nope."

Iruka had never loved his friends more than he did in that instant. Kotetsu and Izumo had always been there for him, and even when they didn't have to, they protected Iruka's secrets like they would their own. 

Amiably, he swung an arm around Anko's shoulders and gave her a peck on the cheek. 

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Anko," he smiled, even though it hurt to breathe. "What do you say to dango after the shift ends?"

"Dango! That sounds awesome!"

Iruka laughed, but it must have sounded hollow because Izumo placed a warm, loving hand on Iruka's shoulder and squeezed gently, a silent reminder of what he and Kotetsu were for Iruka, and Iruka turned and winked back, letting both of his alpha best friends know that really, he  _ was  _ fine. 

Or, that maybe he wasn't fine now, but… he knew that one day, he would be. 

"You know what I think?" he told Kotetsu later that night, when he was stark naked and sandwiched between the boyfriends, Izumo asleep against his back and Kotetsu tracing the line of the scar across his nose. 

Kotetsu yawned, brushing hair out of Iruka's face. "What?"

"I think I want to take a mission."

"Go for it," Kotetsu chuckled, pulling up the covers to his chin. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Iruka chuckled, and murmured his agreement even as Kotetsu was lost to sleep beside him.

But really, what  _ was  _ the worst that could happen?

  
  


***

  
  


Every day was a reminder of how badly Kakashi had fucked up, but really, he'd like to think that Iruka's little missions desk outburst was uncalled for. 

Except… it wasn't.

Kakashi couldn't blame the man with being angry at him. Hell, Kakashi was angry at himself. At thirteen, before he was the copy-nin, he had been too self-absorbed with his own agony that he'd never even considered that he might not be the only one who felt such intense grief and pain… or that interpersonal relationships had nothing to do with power, clan status, or one's ability to protect themselves. He had been a much bigger asshole then than he was now, but he was paying for it daily as he went through life alone and lonely. 

It wasn't like Kakashi didn't have friends. Of course he did. He had Gai, and Tenzou, and Kurenai and Asuma, and countless others, but they just weren't… well, they weren't his life companions. Not even his team, his precious, bonded packmates, could fill that role. Unfortunately, there was just an Iruka-shaped hole in his heart, and there was nothing in his life that could fill it. It was no less than Kakashi deserved, but to hear it out loud still hurt like hell.

And really… the  _ last  _ man? There were much worse options out there, weren't there? Like fucking  _ Zabuza _ for crying out loud, or Orochimaru— they were  _ much  _ worse than Kakashi… weren't they? They actually  _ did  _ all the fucked up stuff they thought about, and Kakashi only, y'know,  _ thought.  _

Even though he  _ thought  _ about it— about slamming any and every person (alpha, beta, or omega) into the ground for just looking at Iruka in a way he disliked, about coming in through Iruka's window while he was fully in rut and just taking, taking,  _ taking  _ what he wanted and sorely needed, about helping Iruka through a heat and marking the sensei as  _ his  _ forever— he never actually did any of it. So that made him good, right? Or at least better than a fucking S-class criminal. 

And then, there had also been Mizuki. Kakashi had hated the bastard from the moment he touched Iruka's hand at the bar that night, the night they made out in a back alley and all but fucked in the streets, but it had taken all his restraint (and Tenzou's and Gai's and Genma's and three Nara ANBU's) to keep him from ripping through Mizuki's chest with chidori when Kakashi found out what he'd done to Iruka with that giant shuriken. Surely, Kakashi was better than someone who would not only harm his comrade, but also his lover? And Naruto, a child? 

But then, perhaps not. Kakashi was… well, he was Friend-Killer Hatake, after all. 

So he decided to let it be. After all, Iruka was a grown man capable of making his own decisions. If he didn't want Kakashi, then fine, but Kakashi knew that there would never be a day when he didn't wake up wanting Iruka.


	2. Mission Gone Wrong

What could possibly go wrong  _ indeed _ . Iruka should have known better. 

It was a simple B-class mission. Walk to Suna, deliver a scroll, walk back. It was supposed to be easy, if adventurous— a nice, well-deserved break from the monotony of teaching and mission desk shifts. But of course, there could be none of that for Iruka. That would have been ridiculous. 

No, he just  _ had  _ to bump into his ex that was supposed to be  _ dead  _ from the  _ second _ time he'd tried to  _ fucking kill Iruka _ . And said ex just  _ had  _ to get close enough to him to inject him with what Iruka was sure was some kind of toxin before Iruka could jab a kunai in his throat, killing him for  _ good  _ this time. Of course. It was the natural way of things. 

Only now… Iruka was starting to feel hot, and a little clammy. His head hurt and he felt nauseous, but it wasn't until the cramps started and he felt himself harden in his pants that he realized what had actually happened. 

Iruka was going into heat, and he was still a day away from Konoha. 

If he could just make it there, he would be fine, Tsunade would know what to do, but… making it there in the condition would be hell on his body. He could probably do it, he was a strong, capable shinobi, but if whatever he was injected with triggered the heat, there was a possibility that he could get heatsick. And if his fever began before he reached Konoha…

Well, Iruka would just have to hope that it didn't. 

  
  



	3. Heatsickness, and the Cure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize this transition is rough, but just buckle your seatbelts and enjoy the smut :)

This was miserable, truly miserable. Iruka was back from his mission, and now Kakashi had his own personal mission to take care of. Kakashi swore to himself a long time ago that no one he cared about would ever die if he could help it, but now things were getting worse by the minute since he'd been kicked out of the hospital. 

"Please, Kakashi," Naruto pleaded, the earnestness in his big blue eyes cutting Kakashi to the core. "He's all I have— well, he was all I _had_ , now I have Team 7— but he believed in me when no one else did and you're his only hope. I have never in my whole life asked anyone for anything, but… but I'm asking for this. Help Iruka-sensei before it's too late."

Screams of agony rang out across the village, and Kakashi felt the urge to claw his own face off. 

The word had spread like wildfire as soon as the village's precious Iruka-sensei had returned from his mission— he was in heat triggered by some sort of injection, and had become heatsick on his way back to Konoha. As per the current gossip, nothing was helping— not toys, not the usual heat medicines, not simulated alpha pheromones, nothing— and it was possible that only the intercession of a True Mate would be able to break the fever. 

That True Mate just so happened to be Kakashi. 

"Naruto, I've already tried," Kakashi's voice sounded rough and foreign, even to himself. "The ANBU guards wouldn't let me in unless… unless he allowed. And he wouldn't—  _ won't. _ "

It was true. The copy-nin had already tried to go to the aid of the omega whose pain could be heard all the way across the village— in fact, he'd kicked the door in and made it halfway across the room before Tenzou grabbed him by the collar and threw him bodily out, giving him a stern ANBU nod and regrowing a nigh-upon impenetrable door in place of the old one. Kakashi would have tried again, too, if Iruka himself hadn't said those awful, heart-crushing words:

_ "Stay away from me," _ the sensei had snarled, fierce despite his pain. _ "Get out. Get out!" _

Kakashi couldn't find it in himself to refuse his would-be mate anything, not after what he'd suffered at Kakashi's own hands, so Kakashi had left, in agony of his own. 

Naruto, however, would not be as easily persuaded to let things alone. 

"Kakashi-sensei, he's _heatsick_ , he doesn't even know what he's talking about!" the Jinchuriki protested, coming closer into Kakashi's personal space. "Listen, I don't care about whatever sordid history you guys have going on, that's between you, but this is _life_ or _death,_ and I can't just sit idly by while you mope and let him _suffer._ "

_ Damn.  _

Naruto was right. He was  _ always  _ right about these kinds of things, and yet… why did Kakashi's bones still feel as though they were made of lead? 

"The ANBU won't let me in without a fight," he sighed, glancing towards the hospital as another cry rang out. 

At that, Naruto smiled. "And since when has that ever stopped you before?"

Kid had a point, he really did. 

"If the ANBU kill me, throw me a nice funeral."

And that was how Kakashi ended up breaking  _ into _ the hospital for once instead of breaking  _ out  _ of it. 

It was easy. It really shouldn't have been, but seeing as how Kakashi could smell Iruka's pheromones from a couple miles away, it was undoubtedly overpowering (and thus distracting) at close range, even to the best shinobi in the village. The ANBU completely missed the senbon he'd thrown even with the explosive tag he'd attached, and were completely taken off guard when the sturdy oak door behind them was blasted into a million pieces. That, however, was not Kakashi's mode of entry, but a mere distraction— he executed an earth jutsu that allowed him to shoot up through the ground next to Iruka's hospital bed and grab the sensei before anyone could notice. As soon as Kakashi got a good grip on him, the copy-nin body-flickered away, using enough chakra to land them smack in the middle of his apartment. 

Naturally, there was yelling. Lots of it. Truthfully, Kakashi should have been paying more attention to it, especially since his mate was directly addressing him, but all rational thought was chased from his head by his pheromones and the simple fact that he could  _ feel  _ Iruka's body relax under his touch, that even though he had rejected their bond all those years ago, they were still  _ mates _ . Almost beside himself, Kakashi lifted a hand to brush away a lock of dark hair from Iruka's neck, but the sensei caught his wrist— right over his scent glands there— and snarled, his words finally cutting through to Kakashi's pheromone-addled brain. 

"Don't  _ fucking  _ touch me, you selfish prick," Iruka snarled, gripping Kakashi's wrist so tight that he wondered if it would break. 

"If I don't, you'll die."

The words had tumbled out of Kakashi's mouth unbidden, but they were the truth. He didn't know what had triggered this heat of Iruka's, but he had been able to feel it in his bones the moment Iruka stepped inside the village, and had tried to no avail to be of use. 

Until now.

"I would rather die than have you anywhere near me." Iruka's voice was cold and cutting, but Kakashi barely blinked. For all his bark, Iruka's eyes told Kakashi that he had no bite— no bite, but plenty of fear. 

"Come now, sensei, what would Naruto think of me if I let his precious person die?" 

Iruka scoffed, all but throwing Kakashi's wrist away from him in disgust. Even fevered and furious, the sensei was gorgeous, and Kakashi fought the urge to lick away the sweat that glistened on his brow. "Naruto? Is that why you're here?"

"In a roundabout way," Kakashi mused, rubbing his now-sore wrist. "I did come to you of my own volition first, though."

A few emotions flickered across Iruka's face, seemingly indecisive, until he finally settled on looking quite bitter, yet somehow resigned. "Don't pretend you're doing this because you actually care."

_ But I do,  _ Kakashi wanted to scream as he fought the urge to reach out and caress Iruka's cheek.  _ I care so very fucking much.  _

Instead, he only shrugged and replied, "I never pretend. Let me help you, Iruka."

There was a beat of silence— then two, then three — as Iruka weighed his options. There really was no other choice, but Kakashi could be patient, when the mood struck him. In the end, Iruka mirrored Kakashi's earlier motion with a shrug of resignation, extending a hand. 

"Do what you will," he said, eyes downcast and shaking on every limb with the force of his want— and, perhaps, his lingering fury. "I don't care anymore."

There were a thousand and one things Kakashi wanted to say to that. He wanted to pull Iruka close and tell him what a fool he'd been, how they were just children back then and he'd been so blind to what really mattered, that he was so, so sorry for everything he'd done, so sorry that he hadn't done this sooner… but this didn't seem the time, not when Iruka let out a whine of pain as another cramp wracked his body. No, that would have to wait. Kakashi had to care for his mate before he could do anything else. 

"Relax, Iruka," he replied, pressing a gentle kiss to Iruka's sweat-soaked brow. "Let me make you feel good."

It must have startled the sensei when Kakashi fell to his knees, because his first instinct was to back away, but Kakashi simply grabbed him by the hips and relieved him of those pesky pants that covered his most intimate parts. With a tenderness reserved for lovers, Kakashi kissed the head of the beautiful cock that was straining toward him before he swallowed it down in one go. In truth, he'd nearly gagged on the length, but it was a small price to pay to hear the wrecked whine that his mate gifted him with. Gently, his fingers probed at Iruka's entrance as he sucked, and it didn't take long for Iruka to spill down his throat with a strangled moan. 

It was heady, filthy, and perfect. 

"There, now, sensei, do we feel any better?" Kakashi asked as he stood just in time to steady his mate, who had begun to sway ever so slightly towards the floor. 

"Mph."

Well, Kakashi supposed that was a fair answer. Without further comment, he dragged Iruka to the bedroom, locked and sealed the door behind them, fetching a bottle of water from his nightstand for Iruka to drink along the way. His alpha instincts were kicked into high gear, and his thoughts were jumbled cacophony of  _ protect, provide _ , and it clouded Kakashi's mind so very much that all he could focus on was the bobbing of his mate's adam's apple as he drank water like a fish. 

Once Iruka drank his fill, it was time to move on to other, less pleasant matters. 

"Iruka, may I use my fingers?" Kakashi forced down the idea that there was a possibility that Iruka would refuse him— if he allowed himself to think too much, he would run away and possibly throw himself off a cliff. Instead, he focused on Iruka's scent and his warm brown eyes, hoping to effectively convey his sincerity. "I would like to stretch you, and then, if you allow, knot you. I know it's not… it's hard to think about, but it might take going that far to break this fever. I won't do it unless you explicitly allow, but it seems to be the best option."

Apprehension rolled off of the sensei in waves, and he didn't seem to notice that he'd crushed the water bottle Kakashi had given him in a vice grip. "I… I'm not on any contraception."

Kakashi tensed. That… complicated things. There were no condoms that could last through a knotting— not even Tsunade's special brand— and the possibility of Iruka conceiving from this joining was very real in the absence of contraception. It wasn't ideal, but Kakashi had a full-body shiver at the thought of Iruka round with his pup— it came from a deep-rooted  _ yearning  _ that had manifested as an ache in his gut for years, and he found it impossible to restrain himself from telling Iruka the truth. 

"Were you to become with child, I wouldn't be averse to the idea of coparenting. Or raising them myself if you didn't want them. Adoption is also an option, I suppose, but we both know what that life is like." The truth was coming too quickly for Kakashi to stop it now, and he silently apologized to his future self for being such an idiot. "I won't force you into anything, but if it's bearing a child or losing your life… I'd happily welcome a life into this world a thousand times before I would ever entertain the thought of seeing one leave it. Especially yours, Iruka, never yours."

Iruka looked away, and Kakashi reached forward and grabbed his hand on impulse. 

"The decision is yours, sensei. If you would like for me to leave you with some privacy for a moment… "

"I think that would be best," Iruka retorted with a bitter tinge to his exhaustion, and though it pained him, Kakashi obediently left, pulling up his mask as he went.

As Kakashi waited outside his bedroom, he felt a roll of nausea in his gut that he wasn't sure was his or Iruka's. It was a miserable feeling, and his entire body was screaming at him to go to Iruka, to beg him for forgiveness and to satisfy his urges, but Kakashi fought it with furious effort. In fact, he was focused so intently on resisting the tailor-made temptations Iruka presented that Kakashi didn't even notice that anyone was on his roof until it fell straight through. 

On instinct, Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan and slipped into a taijustu stance in a fraction of a second, but only moments later, he recognized the chakra signatures and appearance of two chūnin who worked the mission desk with Iruka regularly, and who could be counted among Iruka's closest confidants. The couple were the sort of friends that, Kakashi understood, had  _ unique  _ relations behind closed doors with Iruka— a fact that stirred vicious envy in Kakashi's chest every time he saw them. It was safe to say that he took no pleasure in finding them on his living room floor, especially not now, with his mate in heat in the next room. In fact, he was fairly certain he was oozing killing intent. 

"Kotetsu-san, Izumo-san," Kakashi greeted them through his gritted teeth, trying to maintain civility. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"

"Well, it wouldn't be so unexpected if your wards didn't prevent us from even knocking. Luckily, we found a way in to help  _ our friend, _ " Izumo retorted. "I  _ could  _ have undone them all but Iruka doesn't have that kind of time."

_ Fucking chūnin,  _ Kakashi thought with grudging appreciation.  _ Never underestimate them.  _

"I will be taking care of Iruka," he told them, unable to keep a low growl at bay. "You aren't needed here."

"Like hell I believe  _ you _ ," Kotetsu scoffed and made to brush past Kakashi to the bedroom where Iruka was, but Kakashi threw out an arm, blocking the way. 

"You will leave my home." It wasn't a request. In fact, Kakashi was fairly certain he was actually incapable of polite requests at the moment.

"Not without Iruka!"

Then, just when Kakashi was wondering if he'd have to throw the two chūnin out himself, Iruka poked his head out of the door, looking even worse off than before, and spoke directly to his friends. 

"Kotetsu, Izumo, it's okay," he panted, leaning into the doorframe for support. "I— It was Mizuki, he's somehow still alive— well, he was but he's not now— and since he knew about… about Kakashi, he wanted to hurt me in the worst way he could, so he… he did this to me with a chemical attack. But Kakashi-san and I, we talked and— and I agreed to let him, to… "

Words failed Iruka, and he let out a shuddering sigh. 

"He gave me a choice, and I have accepted it."

Kotetsu looked torn, but Izumo nodded, understanding, and grabbed his boyfriend by the elbow. "Come on, Kotetsu. Let's go."

"But, 'Ruka… "

Iruka smiled tiredly, and Kakashi's chest tightened. "I love you, Kotetsu, Izumo. I'll come visit you soon."

"Love you too, 'Ruka," Kotetsu replied, and Izumo echoed him, then grumbled about explaining something to angry ANBU (probably poor Tenzou and his team that were guarding Iruka) before they made their exit— back through the hole in the roof.

If Kakashi had been focused on anything but Iruka, he would have cursed at the damage to his poor, innocent roof as well as his reputation with ANBU, but as it was, he could think of nothing but his mate and found himself pressed against Iruka's back before he quite knew what he was doing. 

"Iruka," he groaned as the scent of his beautiful omega's heat filled his nose. "Did you mean it, Iruka? That I could knot you?"

He felt more than saw the sensei take a deep, shuddering breath. 

"Yes."

Kakashi tried, oh did he try, but he couldn't resist the urge to turn Iruka around and kiss him soundly on the mouth. 

"Thank you, Iruka" he murmured to his mate, grasping the sensei's broad, muscled shoulders with hands that were far too scarred and far too bloody to be trusted with anything so precious. "Thank you."

And so, Kakashi set to work. 

  
  


***

  
  


It had been so many years since Iruka had found (and lost) his mate that any normal person would have a hard time remembering it. After all, they had only been thirteen— just old enough to have presented their natures, but far too young to fully understand the concept of a True Mate, much less make any permanent decisions regarding one. Nevertheless, Iruka had known he loved Kakashi from the moment he saw him. Call it fate, call it hormones, call it teenage foolishness, but there was just something about the other boy had triggered a deep, ingrained affection that sang through every fiber of Iruka's being, and he couldn't help but fall headfirst in love with the young, silver-haired alpha with sad eyes. 

It was little wonder that he had no trouble remembering how fully his young heart had been crushed. 

It was springtime in Konoha, and the weather was beautiful. The sky had never looked so blue, and the grass had never been quite so green. On that fateful day, Iruka, Kotetsu, and Izumo had been practicing with their kunai, all three of them excited to have graduated from the Academy and become genin. They had been on Training Ground 3 at the time, and Kakashi had been passing that way alone when Iruka felt an unpleasant, indescribable sensation shoot up his spine like lightning. He'd cried out in pain, and when he turned around to see if Kotetsu or Izumo had played a trick on him, he found himself face-to-face with a fistful of  _ actual _ lightning. 

_ "You,"  _ Kakashi had hissed, his voice raw and angry.  _ "What did you do?" _

_ "Nothing,"  _ came Iruka's reply, along with a smile that could have powered a small civilian village for weeks.  _ "I've done nothing. I think… I think this means we're mates!" _

_ "No."  _

Even the memory of Kakashi's hateful tone cut Iruka like a knife, but it was the subsequent words that were the salt in his wound. 

_ "How could that be? You're weak. I could kill you now, if I chose."  _

Oh, but Iruka had persisted, certain that this couldn't be happening, not to him.  _ "But we're mates, and since you're my alpha, you— " _

_"Not if I don't say we are!"_ Kakashi finally snapped, releasing his chidori. _"I won't_ _have you as a mate."_

_ "But— " _

_ "Never,"  _ Kakashi growled, shoving Iruka away and onto his ass.  _ "Stay the hell away from me." _

And so Iruka had. 

His first heat had happened shortly after, and it won second place as the worst thing Iruka had ever experienced (the first being the death of his parents). With no mother or father, Iruka had run to the Third, who had tried his best to explain everything, but all the explanation in the world couldn't numb the hurt Iruka had inside. Later in life, Iruka had learned to share his heats with willing alphas such as Kotetsu and Izumo (a rare alpha-on-alpha pairing), but there was always a twinge of hurt inside, knowing that his mate, his real, actual soulmate, didn't think that Iruka was worth the air he breathed. 

Even now, as that mate was three fingers deep inside him, he still felt that hurt. 

And yet, something about it felt terrifyingly right. Kakashi had been nothing but gentle, and the kiss he'd given Iruka had been searing. All the talk about pups and parenting, all the sweetness, tenderness, and kindness in Kakashi… it was confusing and awful, but somehow still perfect, and it was a fight for Iruka to keep remembering that this wasn't real, that it was just for survival, not forever.

But then he felt Kakashi's tongue lapping at his entrance, and all rational thought left his mind. 

"Are you ready, Iruka?"

Kakashi's hands were shaking, and Iruka realized in that moment just how much self-control his alpha had been exercising the entire time. Most alphas lost their minds even a couple feet away from an omega in heat, and even more so when that omega was their mate, but Kakashi hadn't so much as taken his own pants off. Iruka wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but he  _ was  _ sure that he wanted very badly to be fucked. 

"Yes, Kakashi," he replied, bracing himself. "I'm ready."

And, surprisingly, he was.

After stripping entirely naked (which was quite a show for wide-eyed Iruka), Kakashi eased himself inside, and Iruka felt no pain at all— of course, his advanced stage of heat and the slick running down his thighs helped with that, but Kakashi's careful preparation made taking even such a well-endowed cock as Kakashi's almost easy. Even so, Kakashi's pace began achingly slow at first, drawing pleasure from Iruka until he let loose a wild moan, and then Kakashi withdrew, flipped him over onto his back, and blew Iruka's mind once more with only his words. 

"Iruka, I want to be gentle, but I don't think I can anymore," Kalashi confessed, his bright red Sharingan spinning, pulsating, memorizing each minute detail of the moment. "I'm going to be rough, and I'm sorry if I hurt you but I— I can't hold back anymore."

Sweat dripped from Kakashi's bangs, and he was flushed a brilliant pink, painting quite a lovely picture. Iruka almost wished he had a Sharingan of his own to capture the image of his mate leaning over him, desperate for release, but he wasn't likely to forget it even without a  _ kekkei genkai  _ to help him out. 

"Of course, Kakashi," he sighed, feeling himself flexing around his mate. "I'm a shinobi, not a girl scout, fuck me like you mean it."

At that, Kakashi let out a feral growl and set an unrelenting pace that propelled Iruka towards another orgasm. Gathering slick onto his hands, Kakashi stroked Iruka hard and fast, in a steady rhythm with his thrusts until cum covered Iruka's brown torso and shortly after flooded inside him. As Kakashi's knot swelled within him, the jonin lifted Iruka with only one arm (such strength!) and repositioned them beneath the covers with Iruka laying flat on Kakashi's chest, which made for a surprisingly nice pillow. Gently, Kakashi put his hand against Iruka's forehead and then hummed lightly, evidently pleased. 

"We did it," Kakashi murmured with a slight chuckle, and Iruka found himself puzzled. 

"Did what?" he mumbled groggily, and Kakashi fully laughed then, a deep, velvety sound that Iruka wanted to chase with kisses. 

"Your fever broke, sensei," his mate informed him happily, placing a big, warm hand in the curve of his spine. "You're going to be alright."

"Oh. That's nice."

Those were the only words that Iruka was able to manage before exhaustion fully overtook him, and he fell fast asleep on top of Konoha's infamous copy-nin,  _ the  _ Hatake Kakashi. 

His mate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who's ready to see how the morning after goes?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) I love u guys, ur comments are so sweet ❤❤ tysm

Iruka woke to the feeling of warmth. 

It was an unfamiliar feeling, lying face-down on top of another person, but given the heavy scent of sex still lingering in the air and the soreness in Iruka's body, it wasn't hard to figure out what had happened. Unwilling to face the gravity of the situation, Iruka only burrowed deeper into the warm body beneath him, and the voice that belonged to said body chuckled lowly, sending delicious vibrations through Iruka, who hadn't realized that his bedmate was awake. With as much subtlety as he could muster, Iruka relaxed his breathing and tried to pretend he hadn't woken at all, but he should've known better— the jonin beneath him was no ordinary jonin, but a former member of ANBU, and not an ordinary ANBU either.

Hatake Kakashi was a kage-level ninja— one who would easily,  _ obviously  _ be able to tell whether someone was truly asleep or not. 

"You know, sensei, you fake sleep as badly as Naruto," Kakashi hummed, gently trailing a hand down Iruka's spine. 

"Mmm," replied Iruka, still not ready for talking just yet. 

Kakashi tutted, and even with his eyes closed, Iruka could imagine the teasing glint in his eyes. "Come now, Ruka-kun, it's a quarter past ten, and you need to at least drink some more water." 

"Sake," grumbled Iruka, thinking of the unpleasant conversation that would likely take place sooner rather than later. And  _ 'Ruka-kun' _ ? Since when he'd Kakashi become so familiar? Yesterday, he'd  _ hated  _ the bastard because Kakashi hated him first— and now he was  _ 'Ruka-kun _ ? 

"I second that," Kakashi mumbled with what sounded like… regret? Sadness? 

It sure was a weird morning. 

"But, sensei, I'm afraid that we have to have breakfast before we can do much drinking, and we  _ really  _ need a shower, so let's get you up and at it, yeah?"

Iruka didn't budge. He was expecting to be rolled off of the bed, or at least off of Kakashi, but instead, he found himself being shifted into a sitting position, straddling Kakashi's lap. 

"Alright, then, have it your way," Kakashi chuckled as he stood, carrying Iruka like a frontward-facing backpack. "If you won't walk, I'll just carry you to shower. Besides, we're gross and sticky, and you'll thank me later… if we're still on speaking terms later."

Iruka pried his eyes open at that, remembering once more that he was supposed to hate Kakashi, but when his would-be mate tenderly kissed the skin of his bare shoulder, Iruka shuddered and allowed himself to enjoy the moment.. 

Once Kakashi had adjusted the temperature of the shower to his liking, he finally sat Iruka down on his feet inside the shower, the spray of the water hitting the copy-nin's silver, sex-mussed hair that Iruka hated and yet loved so dearly. Kakashi was truly a vision, all feline grace from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, and Iruka's eyes chased rivulets of water across his bare body, admiring the muscles, the pearly-white skin, and the pale scars that made up Hatake Kakashi. Iruka wasn't exactly sure that this wasn't some wild fever-dream, but if it was, Iruka almost hoped he would die before it ended, because as Kakashi leaned in to press a kiss against his forehead, Iruka knew he could no longer be happy if he were to return to a reality where he couldn't stand the sight of his mate… 

Whom he knew deep down, in his heart of hearts, he loved. And would always love. Even when he hated Kakashi (which was usually always), he would be a liar if he said he didn't love him still— a liar or a fool, and Iruka had been both before.

In fact, Iruka thought it was rather obvious what a fool he was, but then Kakashi asked him yet another mind-blowing question.

"May I shower with you, sensei?"

What the hell kind of question was that supposed to be? The man was already soaking wet from setting Iruka down out of the way of the stream of water. Iruka himself was under the impression that Kakashi had already made up his mind to shower with him from the get-go… and yet there he was, waiting oh-so-patiently for Iruka's response, his one eye as soft and as black as midnight and the other closed, hiding the brilliant crimson that Iruka knew lay beneath the scarred skin of Kakashi's eyelid. 

"Uh, yeah, sure," came Iruka's less-than-articulate response. 

Kakashi's goal in life must have been to constantly shatter Iruka's expectations, because while Iruka had imagined that there would be some touching during their shower together, he had been expecting it to be of a sexual nature. Instead, Kakashi simply washed himself with ANBU-level speed and efficiency, then proceeded to wash Iruka, starting with his hair, massaging his scalp, then his neck and shoulders. It was completely and utterly  _ unfair  _ that Kakashi was so damn good at  _ everything _ — from killing enemy nin to erasing the impossible knots in Iruka's neck, Kakashi could do it all. It was all the sensei could do to stay standing upright as he was lavished with attention and little murmurs of praise. 

"That's it, just relax," Kakashi would purr intermittently as he lathered some other part of Iruka. "You're so beautiful, my perfect omega, you really are a dream."

Iruka just stood there, dumbstruck, and let Kakashi do his thing until they were both dried off and sitting across from one another at Kakashi's kitchen table, upon which sat two coffee cups that Iruka hadn't noticed Kakashi fixed. 

"So, ah, thanks for saving my life," Iruka blurted, knowing that it was probably the polite thing to say. He sipped his coffee for energy and courage, then realized that Kakashi had fixed it exactly the way he liked… (creepy, crazy jonin). "Even though I didn't want you to at the time."

Kakashi waved a hand nonchalantly, but the upward turn of his bare lips gave away his satisfaction. "In the words of our favorite, number one knuckle-headed ninja, you were heatsick and didn't know what you were talking about." After a brief pause, Kakashi added, "You know, for an idiot, I think he's the smartest person I've ever met."

"You're telling me," Iruka laughed, remembering Naruto's Academy days. 

Kakashi smiled, but it was hollow, and tinged with sadness, and Iruka's stomach twisted painfully, sensing what would come next. "But I will say that you do have a right to hate me. I'm a fool. I always have been, but it was worse when I was younger. I'd like to apologize, if you'd let me."

Iruka nodded, but it didn't feel exactly right. Nevertheless, he muttered a quick "Apology accepted," to appease his sense of propriety, and hoped that was the end of the conversation. 

(It was not, in fact, the end of the conversation.)

Kakashi shook his head. "I would ask if you actually thought that was a good enough apology for this situation, but you and I both know you have a whole day's lecture on apologies in your Diplomacy unit that says otherwise." After a quiet, steadying inhale, the dam on Kakashi's words broke, and he began over a decade's worth of an apology. 

"I apologize for rejecting you as a mate," he told Iruka, shamefaced and humble. "I also apologize for being cold and cruel and so very, very wrong, back then."

' _ You're weak,'  _ Iruka remembered.  _ 'I could kill you now, if I chose.' _

"You weren't exactly wrong," Iruka muttered, but Kakashi grabbed both of Iruka's hands with his own so fast that he nearly knocked over both if their coffees in the process. 

"I was wrong about  _ everything. _ " Forgetful in his earnestness, Kakashi unintentionally opened his Sharingan, and Iruka was struck once again by just how lovely the man before him was, even with his face contorted in something akin to pain. "Iruka, you aren't weak. I was— am— an idiot. I don't intend to make excuses, but hear me out. We were just kids, you know, when we met, and I'd had nearly everything taken from me— Minato-sensei, Obito, Rin, my-" Kakashi swallowed, pausing to recollect himself. "-my  _ father _ — but you had everything taken from you too, and you were always so kind. The child that was cruel and hateful to you was so because he himself was not as strong as you are."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Iruka replied, though he was trying his best to see Kakashi's perspective. What did any of that have to do with strength?

"I can lead a battle," Kakashi told him, never breaking eye contact, and Iruka fought the urge to shiver at the pure power he radiated. "I can fight in the vanguard and come out alive because I was born with that kind of strength, like my father. But you, Iruka… you could last a siege." 

The words rang in Iruka's ears, too pretty, too poetic to be true, but he was enraptured by Kakashi nonetheless. 

"Your heart has always been so strong and resilient," Kakshi continued, squeezing Iruka's hands in his own. "And you make everyone around you stronger and better and  _ more  _ than they were before they met you. The bigger the challenge, the harder you fight, and you don't have an inch of quitter in you. You are beauty, warmth, and vitality— Iruka, you are  _ everything _ — and without people like you to be a pillar to support the weight of the world, we would surely be crushed by it."

_ …holy shit. _

"But I didn't know, back then, didn't understand. I didn't even really know what a mate was— I hadn't even had my first rut yet— but that's irrelevant. I was horrible to you, and I'm sorry. Another thing I want to apologize for is… well… for not doing this as soon as I realized what a fool I'd been."

That seemed to be all, and Kakashi leaned back in his chair, looking almost exhausted from his outburst of truth. Iruka, who was tired again just from  _ hearing  _ the apology, could understand why. 

"I don't know what to say," Iruka replied, rubbing his hands over his face. "That was… a lot."

At that, Kakashi cracked a wry grin. "I was hoping for 'I forgive you,' but 'You're forgiven' and 'The past is the past,' work too."

When Iruka didn't reply immediately because  _ hello, he was still reeling _ , Kakashi hastily added—

"I mean, obviously, you don't have to forgive me, if you never want to see me again after today, that's fine, I just— "

"Kakashi?"

Immediately, Kakashi's mouth snapped shut, his teeth clacking together almost comically loud as he waited for Iruka to continue. 

"Shut up," Iruka smiled fondly. "And I forgive you."

"You… forgive me." It was less of a statement and more of a question, but Iruka nodded anyways. 

"Yes."

"Oh."

Having come to something of a standstill, the two of them stared at each other, unblinking. The moment was much more awkward than it should have been, but Iruka really wasn't sure what either of them were supposed to say after that. Eventually, Kakashi's Sharingan slid closed, relieving Iruka of the awful, crawling sensation under his skin, and then Iruka's more human needs caught up with him in a rather embarrassing way.

His stomach growled. 

Kakashi laughed at first, only to blush as his tummy grumbled in response only a second later. 

"I'm embarrassed to say that I don't host often, and therefore likely have no food here at all," Kakashi admitted sheepishly. "You wanna go to that breakfast place in the middle of town and get some chow?"

Iruka smiled and nodded gratefully, and because  _ everyone  _ knew the rumors of how cheap Kakashi was, he couldn't resist throwing in one little quip. 

"As long as you're paying, alpha."

At that, Kakasashi grinned, pulling up his mask that was pooled at his neck. 

"Whatever pleases you most, my sweet omega."

_ His _ sweet omega… Iruka could really, really get used to this.

Unfortunately, however, the universe had collectively decided at Iruka's birth that he was never to have anything good or nice or decent, and so the moment he opened the door, he was faced with the eerie porcelain mask of an ANBU operative— who, from the feel of his chakra, was  _ not  _ pleased— instead of a warm, sunny day. 

"Senpai," the ANBU grunted, addressing Kakashi. "You simply  _ cannot  _ steal patients from the hospital. Not only is it illegal, but it is also ridiculous and foolish."

With his mask up and his hitai-ate covering his Sharingan, Kakashi was the picture of nonchalance as he shrugged at the ANBU. "Well, you weren't going to let me have him, even if I asked nicely, so I did what I had to do."

Somehow, the ANBU managed to look almost like a mother scolding her child as he crossed his arms and miraculously fixed Kakashi with a look despite not having visible facial features. "You know that our orders came directly from Hokage-sama, and if you would have waited five minutes she would have— "

"Five minutes?" Kakashi, surprisingly enough, sounded much like a scolded child himself. "Ten— uh, I mean, ANBU-san, I really didn't think we had that kind of time. It was a matter of life and death, I couldn't just sit around and dawdle— "

"Oh this is  _ so  _ not just about this incident, you're always doing stuff like blowing up my walls and ruining my missions."

Iruka fought the urge to giggle as Kakashi managed to make  _ one eye  _ look incredibly affronted. 

"I am  _ not  _ always ruining your missions. Name  _ one time _ ."

"Land of Tea, I was guarding the ambassadors there, and you brought the castle down around our ears!"

"That was  _ years _ ago!"

"Okay, how about last spring when you thought there was something in the shadows at my campsite and accidentally set the whole field on fire with your stupid chidori?"

"There was! It was a missing-nin, remember?"

"You burnt down the feudal lord's tent!"

"And saved his life, so there's that. You're  _ welcome. _ "

  
  


The ANBU huffed. "Well what about when we were in Suna and— "

Kakashi inhaled sharply, turning scarlet with embarrassment. "I thought we agreed  _ never  _ to talk about Suna."

"That was until you nearly blew up an entire hospital room and kidnapped a patient!" 

"It wasn't kidnapping— "

"Yes it was! By literal definition, it was kidnapping!"

Iruka's stomach decided that it was time to let loose another hungry growl, and he turned bright red as both the ANBU and Kakashi looked at him. 

"Sorry," he said, holding up his hands. "You can continue your argument, just ignore me."

"Actually, I'm afraid we can't," the ANBU grumbled, glaring at Kakashi. "Tsunade-sama wants both of you in her office as soon as possible."

"Can we eat first?" Kakashi asked, patting his belly. "I'm hungry too, and I'm pretty sure you spent last night in that tree over there."

The ANBU hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "Why not? You can pick up the tab for being such an ass."

Iruka laughed, and Kakashi eye-smiled, taking Iruka's hand in his own. 

"Sure, sure, Tenz— I mean, ANBU-san, lead the way."

Oh boy, Kotetsu and Izumo were not going to  _ believe  _ this shit— breakfast with an ANBU! Who would have thought? 

  
  


***

  
  


Kakashi was aware that he was pouting, but really, how was he, the last of the Hatake line, being scolded like a genin for the second time in one day? No matter that he'd managed to sweet-talk Tenzou into footing the bill for their meal, a scolding was still as scolding, and now Tsunade was griping him out too? What the hell?

"— nevermind the fact that he was actively  _ telling you no  _ at the time or that I'd placed  _ my own personal ANBU guard there—  _ did it ever occur to you that there could have been a trap set for you in that injection as well? What were you even thinking, you IDIOT, you're worse than Jiraiya!"

Tsunade was fuming as she crossed her arms over her chest, but for all her intimidating strength and the power her lungs held, she still reeked of sake and looked a little hungover. Who was she to be lecturing Kakashi on anything? 

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," he replied, affecting his usual bored disposition. "I did what I thought needed to be done, and in doing so saved the life of my mate."

"The mate you rejected at first," Tsunade growled, slamming a fist on the table. Kakashi felt Iruka flinch beside him, and unthinkingly, he grabbed the sensei's hand in support. "I happen to like Iruka a great deal, and I won't tolerate you playing with him. So tell me here and now what your intentions are, Hatake, and if you lie to me I will kick you so hard that you'll end up meeting my grandfather."

Kakashi swallowed thickly as he contemplated his answer. He very desperately wanted to look at Iruka and gauge his reaction, but to do so now would likely make Iruka even more unsure than he probably already was, and that was the last thing Kakashi wanted. Instead, he summoned all of his courage, looked Tsunade dead in the face, and told her what his intentions truly were. 

"What I intend to do," he told the alpha before him firmly, surely, with a squeeze to Iruka's hand, "Is spend the rest of my life making up for my mistakes in any way that Iruka sees fit. I am under no illusions— one night of fucking and an apology doesn't make everything okay, but for as long as he'll have me around, well… that's where I'll be."

Kakashi did look at Iruka then, because he could look nowhere else, and the joy and wonder he saw when he looked into the russet eyes that used to look at him in disgust sent him to cloud nine. There was no question— Kakashi was head-over-heels in love. He was no longer a scared little boy with more power than sense… no, he was a grown man who now knew what it meant to love and be loved. 

He hoped that Iruka could learn to feel the same. They had a long way to go— after all, Kakashi had a lot to atone for— but it wasn't impossible.

"Good," Tsunade asserted with a sharp nod, obviously pleased with his response. "Because if he's pregnant, you'll need to be around."

Oh… right.

"Uh, Tsunade-sama, how long would it be before we knew… ah, whether or not… that is, I mean to say— "

A blonde brow arched as she cut him off. "Having second thoughts? Should have considered that when you were sticking your— "

"Hokage-sama." 

Kakashi was surprised to hear Iruka use his reprimanding Teacher Voice on  _ the Hokage  _ of all people, but his expression was fierce as he stared down the Fifth the same way he would a pre-genin in his class. 

"Kakashi was nothing but kind and gentle, and fair and considerate with me through all of this," he said, sparing a glance at Kakashi that made his heart flutter. "He even said that in the event I conceived, he would raise the child himself if I refused to. I understand your point, Tsunade-sama, but I must respectfully request that you refrain from speaking of matters about which, frankly, you know nothing."

Kakashi was going to die. Or cum in his pants. From watching Iruka yell at his fellow jonin in the mission room and rake Naruto over the coals for being an idiot, Kakashi knew that an angry, sassy Iruka was very, very much a turn-on for him (crucify him, mission room fantasies were all he thought he was going to get until the day before), but to watch Iruka put  _ Tsunade herself  _ in her place? It was a dream come true. 

Be that as it may, Kakashi still braced himself for a chakra-enhanced smack… that never came, because Tsunade was smiling proudly at the both of them. 

"That'll do boys," she chuckled. "That'll do."

"Pardon?" Iruka asked, echoing Kakashi's thoughts.

"Iruka, I mean to say that I forget that even though you're an omega, one of my pack, you can take care of yourself. If you couldn't, I wouldn't have ever let you be in charge of the precious pups in the village," Tsunade explained with a gentle smile. "And you, Hatake, I admit that I was worried about your intentions— but I forget that you, like your father, have learned to love and value your companions more than anyone, and that your instincts as an alpha are the same as mine— to protect and provide. I think you two will be just fine."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied, truly grateful. 

"You're welcome. Now get the hell out of my office and come here three weeks from now where I can run some tests  _ discreetly _ ."

And so they did. 

"Well," Iruka commented as they left the Hokage tower. "That was… tense."

Kakashi chucked, feeling himself flush. "Yeah, definitely. So, uh, do you have any plans for today?"

"No, I uh, think I'm free," Iruka replied as they stepped out into the fresh Konoha breeze, blushing just as badly as Kakashi. 

_ Now or never, Hatake,  _ he told himself, and shot Iruka what would have been a dazzling smile… if Iruka could have seen it. "Well, would you like to hang out? I'm not sure what kind of things you're into, but I'm sure we can find something… and if I'm perfectly honest with you, I'm not quite ready to leave you just yet."

Well, Kakashi just thought that  _ his  _ smile would have been dazzling— Iruka's smile put his to shame. "That's good, because I'm not ready to be left just yet… but I am actually really tired, so do you maybe just wanna watch movies and chill? I mean, my house is kinda cluttered but I have this  _ huge  _ TV, and all the best snacks. If you're interested, that is."

In what world would Kakashi  _ not _ be interested? Snuggled up with his mate, feeding him snacks and watching him watch a movie? Okay, maybe that was a little generous, but still, it was a possibility, and Kakashi was gonna take what he could get. 

"Of course, my 'Ruka-kun," Kakashi replied, reaching for his hand. "I just want to be near you."

Iruka turned even redder, if that was possible, and his eyelashes fluttered cutely as he tried to decide where to look. "Oh. Okay, good, yeah, that's awesome."

As they made their way to Iruka's place, Kakashi couldn't help but think that  _ yes,  _ it was pretty damn awesome. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go.... :/ I hate for this to end!


	5. Epilogue: The Only Man Iruka Could Ever Be Prevailed Upon To Marry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just realized that I forgot to name the last chapter... oops. Just enjoy my garbage here and forget that I'm an idiot sometimes ❤

Nine months later, there was no baby, but lots of love. 

Kakashi had been true to his word— he stuck around for Iruka. In fact, he did much more than just stick around. Whenever Kakashi wasn't on mission or in the hospital  _ recovering  _ from a mission, he was at Iruka's place, cooking warm meals for the tired and bedraggled sensei to enjoy after a hard day of kid-wrangling and jonin-wrangling (which, in hindsight, weren't much different.) In turn, Iruka fretted over and spoiled Kakashi relentlessly, and Kakashi had never felt more loved than when Iruka asked, sweetly, tentatively, if Kakashi would consider moving in. 

"Of course," Kakashi replied, kissing Iruka in the nose, which earned him a smack. "Only one thing though."

At that, Iruka's brows furrowed with worry. "What's that?"

"Will you marry me first?"

Iruka nearly passed out when Kakashi held up a silver band between his thumb and forefinger, and then, after Iruka accepted, Kakashi  _ did  _ pass out because Iruka told him a small fact out of sincerity and a tiny amount of guilt. 

"Well, since we're engaged now, I feel that there should be no secrets between us," Iruka told him, blushing prettily. "There's something I haven't told you."

Kakashi hardly batted an eye. "Of course, 'Ruka, you can tell me anything."

"Well… Tenzou told me what happened in Suna," Iruka admitted reluctantly. "And it's okay, I really will still marry you if you'll still marry me after having not told you that I knew."

Kakashi was out, stone-cold on the floor until Iruka splashed him with a cup of water.

After that small catastrophe, the rest of the evening was wonderful— that is to say, filled with food, fun, and fucking. Even so, one small question nagged at Kakashi from the back of his mind, and as they lay together, limbs entangled, he decided to ask dreamy, afterglow Iruka his query rather than grumpy morning person Iruka. 

"Iruka?"

"Hm?"

"I thought you said I was the last man in the world you could be prevailed upon to marry," he replied, trying to pass it off as a joke even though he knew Iruka would see right through it. 

"You are, in a sense," Iruka laughed, his eyes shining brightly in the moonlight. "You were the only man I could  _ ever  _ be prevailed upon to marry, which I suppose makes you the first  _ and  _ the last."

Kakashi smirked then, and kissed Iruka soundly. "I like the sound of that."

"If you do, then I have another suggestion," Iruka chuckled, his eyes dark and suggestive.

"Oh, my sweet sensei? And what would that be?"

"I think we should make a baby."

Abruptly, Kakashi sat up, almost in alarm. He had to have misheard… or did Iruka actually say… 

"Sorry, what was that?"

With a nigh-upon predatory grin, the omega pushed Kakashi down, straddled him, and kissed him breathless before staring directly into his face. 

"I  _ said _ , put a baby in me."

(Kakashi might have passed out  _ again _ , but once he was revived, he was definitely in the baby-making business.)

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being so supportive, I love all of you!!!!


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